Marvel gave fans a spit-take moment last night with that Blade news. Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as the new Blade in a reboot? Wow. Yes, please, and thank you.
While the news spread about Blade, Wesley Snipes fans couldn't help but wonder how he feels. Some fans were not happy with a recast Blade, while others thought a recasting would work but they still want Snipes to have a role in the MCU version.
For the record, Wesley Snipes is turning 57 on July 31, 2019, and he'd be far from the only Marvel hero in his 50s.
One fan suggested a specific role for Wesley Snipes, saying he should play the MCU's Whistler:
In Marvel Comics, Abraham Whistler is a vampire hunter and Eric Brooks/Blade's mentor. In the 1998 Blade movie, Whistler was played by Kris Kristofferson and the actor and character returned opposite Wesley Snipes' Blade in Blade II and Blade: Trinity.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirmed to Collider that Blade will be part of MCU Phase 5, not the rest of the Phase 4 movies and TV shows announced last night at 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.
So there's time to develop and film the Blade movie, which currently has no release date.
Wesley Snipes has yet to weigh in on the new movie. He hasn't been on screen too much lately. He's had some problems over the years, including tax issues and also unflattering stories about his on-set behavior making Blade: Trinity. Still, just last year Snipes mentioned talking to Marvel about Blade. Before that, the topic came up every few years from both Wesley Snipes and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.
Wesley Snipes recently popped up for a tongue-in-cheek vampire cameo on FX's What We Do in the Shadows, and he has some 2019 movies lined up in Dolemite Is My Name and Cut Throat City, with more projects in the works including Payline. He still seems connected to Blade and ready to return to screens.
Wesley Snipes still regularly shares Blade posts on social media. On April 30, he tweeted a link to a story arguing that his Blade essentially created the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
How do you feel about the new Blade movie, and should Marvel find a way to add Wesley Snipes? What do you think of the Whistler idea?
